


Alethea

by Kyouryokusenshi



Category: The X-Files, The X-Files: I Want To Believe (2008)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family Feels, Post-The X-Files: I Want To Believe (2008), Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-07
Updated: 2016-04-07
Packaged: 2018-05-31 19:38:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 13,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6484897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyouryokusenshi/pseuds/Kyouryokusenshi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>POST IWTB. Mulder and Scully are eagerly expecting their second child. Just when they have finally come to terms with the loss of William, their beliefs are once again brought into question when another sick boy needs Scully's help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Peaceful nights were a fairly new occurrence to Mulder and Scully. It was only recently that they were no longer refugees and Mulder's actions from the previous several years were finally forgiven by the government. Until recently, they had a difficult time coming to terms with the loss of William. Scully's most recent patient, Christian, reminded her so much of what she had lost. She was so determined not to give up on the sick boy. Mulder was convinced that Scully had felt that in a way she had given up on William when she gave him up for adoption. She cried almost every night for several months after they had gone on the run. He knew she thought he was angry and resentful, though he was for a short while, he knew she made the right decision.

"Scully?" Mulder had said his partner's name in the vast darkness, though she was turned away from him in bed. He placed his hand on the rounded curve of her abdomen. "Are you okay?" They always seemed to have the same conversation. Scully finding out she was pregnant wasn't what she was expecting at forty two. She wasn't sure she wanted another child and Mulder didn't even think another child was possible. But after several long months, they both had realized this was something they had both really wanted. Perhaps raising William wasn't meant to be, but now they were in a position where they could raise a child without having to worry about all of the danger that had prevented them from being able to raise William.

"Yeah," she whispered staring off into space. Though crying at night was part of the distant past, each night she lay awake for a short while wondering about William and what his life was like. She never stopped wishing that they could someday meet and William could know about his sister. He would be about five years old now. She knew her mother was devastated about her decision, as well as her brother. They even stopped talking until recently when she told her mother she was pregnant again.

"And the baby? Is she keeping you awake?" he nuzzled her. Scully laughed as she cupped her belly. "More like making sure my bladder keeps running," she really had grown to love this life inside of her so much. Mulder was with her and there was no reason she'd have to worry about her baby's safety.

At her age, she had one last shot at having a baby. The first few times didn't work out, but maybe the third time was a charm. However, she and Mulder never spoke of the fact that this baby could be different, like William, only they were both here to protect her this time.

As Scully sat up, she gasped and Mulder was immediately at her side, afraid something was wrong. Considering the number of complications she had from her last pregnancy, they had to be carefully prepared for anything that may go wrong. She did have preeclampsia and was sentenced to bed rest almost immediately when she had a fainting spell and the condition was diagnosed.

"Scully, are you okay?"

Mulder watched Scully's gaze shift to the wetness that now covered the floor.

"My water broke."

"So those cramps you were telling me about earlier weren't really Braxton hicks? God Scully, why didn't you tell me?" he started to panic

"Mulder, you don't need to rush to a hospital when labor first starts…you are generally advised not to come to the hospital until the contractions aren't far apart."

There she went with her Doctor speech again. "Dammit, Scully, most people also don't live 45 minutes from a hospital either!"

He helped pull her to a standing position and helped her into some dry clothes and grabbed the overnight bag they had waiting on the floor. Thankfully she thought far enough in advance to pack it.

He understood her resistance on having her baby delivered in a hospital due to her last experience, but as far as they knew, no one was after them this time. The last thing he needed was to have her deliver the baby on the side of the road given the many complications he was not prepared for.

He gingerly held onto her as he guided her down the steps and into the car. He didn't want to admit that he was scared shitless. He thanked god that he was with her this time to make sure everything was going to be okay. He would be dammed if anyone even touched her or the baby inside of her.

'This time will be different', he thought peeling out of the driveway. Nothing was going to happen to either of them and they were not losing another child, if that was the last thing he would ever do, he would make sure of that.

He tried his best to comfort Scully as much as he could while he broke the speed limits of the rural area to get to the hospital.

"Breathe, Scully, just like Lamaze class."

She shot him a deathly glare.

"No shit, Mulder."

He reached over and rubbed her belly. "Sorry…I really do want to utilize those things we learned though." Mulder didn't need to finish that sentence, she knew as much as he did how he regretted not being there for William's birth.

She managed a smile between contractions. "I know, I'm glad you're here." She took his hand and squeezed it tight. "Don't hate me if your hand gets broken during this process, okay?"

He managed a small laugh. "I could never."

Thankfully, time passed quickly enough and he wheeled her into the hospital room demanding a doctor. If Scully wasn't in so much pain, she would have smiled at his insistence. Before a doctor came to whisk her away, he was asked if he was the husband, to which he was happy to answer yes. Forget technicality.

Once they were in the room, he was ordered to get into scrubs, to which he happily obliged. "I already see the head," the doctor declared. "Looks like this is going to be a fast delivery, this is your second birth, correct?"

Scully was solemn for a moment before she nodded. "Okay, she's coming fast, so I'm going to need you to start pushing."

"I guess an epidural is out of the question," Scully said as more of a statement than a question.

"Sorry doctor, you know how it works."

"Guess it didn't hurt to ask," she moaned.

A nurse was at her other side, palpitating her stomach and then instructing her to push. Mulder already felt as if his hand was about to fall off considering the lack of feeling it had. She rolled her eyes at him at his funny attempts at telling her to breathe, but she savored the moment all the same. She was just so happy he was there.

"You're doing great, Scully," he whispered as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

After a few more pushes, she felt the baby slide out from inside of her and fell back against the bed in relief. Small cries began to fill the air.

"It's a girl!" he announced.

She watched with tears in her eyes as they instructed Mulder to cut the cord and they started to whisk the baby off for cleaning.

"No, don't take my baby!"

The nurse holding the baby was startled and Mulder was instantly at her side. "It's okay, they're just cleaning her up, and you know how it goes." She did, but her first birthing experience left her with an irrational fear.

She looked over at Mulder and then to the nurse. "He goes with you," she almost ordered.

She nodded reluctantly and allowed Mulder to follow her to clean the bloody baby. The nurse felt awkward and a small part of Scully felt bad for her, especially since they all worked together.

It felt like an eternity before they reappeared in the room. Mulder was the one holding her and she fought tears of joy as he placed her into her arms. "Well, I have good news; this one doesn't look suspiciously like Director Skinner."

Scully laughed as tears ran down her face. "Oh my god, she's so beautiful."

"Of course, she looks just like mommy."

Scully studied her. "Actually, I think she looks more like daddy. She has your mouth for sure."

"Thank goodness she doesn't seem to have my nose, but she does seem to have your eyes." he chuckled.

"All babies' eyes are blue at birth, Mulder."

"Okay Doc, did we finally settle on a name for her?"

They both watched in awe as she closed her eyes and suckled on her finger.

"Yeah, actually I have been thinking about some of those names we picked out. Vera. It means faith. Vera Rose."

Mulder smiled. "I guess Foxina, Foxy and Fox Jr. are out?"

Scully shook her head. "I am glad this was a joint decision. Could you imagine what you'd put this poor girl through at school?" she teased

They talked many times about names and Scully seriously considered Samantha, but Mulder was the one who insisted this baby have a name of her own.

He leaned over and kissed her. "Don't worry; I'd never subject my own kid to the same torture I got."

He had never felt so much love as he felt now, with one exception. That was the day he met William. That happiness he felt was so brief, but he was never going to let anyone or anything rip them apart ever again.

To be continued…..

A/N: I had a hard time choosing Alethea or Vera. I have used both names in other stories. Alethea means truth and Vera means faith. Decided to go with the latter since it seems more contemporary. Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Too many stories lack M&S reuniting with Doggett and Reyes...so here's my tribute to them too. :-)

Scully had eagerly awaited the twenty four hours to go home once Vera was born. Though she worked in a hospital, she was never a very good patient. She was a little worried about the baby's low birth weight, but she was rest assured by her colleague that with some TLC, she would be doing great. Everything else such as Apgar scores was great. Of course, there were a few more tests she wanted to run, but she would have to do them herself.

Although she and Mulder shared the same concerns about their daughter as they did William, she knew he wouldn't be happy if he found out she needed to compare Vera's test results with William's. But she had to know, there was no way she was going to put her daughter in danger. They needed to be prepared for everything, but this time they would be together.

Her mother was ecstatic about having another grandchild and though she would never admit it, the giving away of William still bothered her, they just never discussed it. Instead of coming to the hospital, her mom anxiously awaited their return at their home. However, to their surprise, there was another unfamiliar car in the driveway when they pulled up.

Scully looked over at Mulder, wondering who their mysterious second visitor could be. After years of the X-Files, it was second nature for them to become fearful and suspicious, especially now that a newborn was in their care. Once Mulder parked and turned off the ignition, he looked over at Scully. "I'll get the door, just follow me."

Scully nodded before Mulder opened her door and Scully was able to get Olivia from her car seat. Their worries ceased immediately when two familiar figures came out the front door.

"Dana? Mulder? Oh my god, it's been so long!"

Scully smiled brightly as the two people she hadn't thought she'd see ever again rush towards them.

"Monica, John! Oh my god!"

Monica Reyes was immediately embraced her, baby and all. "God, it's so good to see you after all these years, Dana. I wish we could have helped Skinner and Mulder with that case several months back."

Scully shrugged. "Well, you didn't miss much."

Monica indicated the baby. "May I?"

Scully smiled and released the baby to the woman whom she had come to see as a close friend and maybe even as a sister. She and John had risked their lives and reputation to help them escape. There was no way they could ever thank them.

John had been waiting patiently in line behind Monica for the hug exchange. Mulder was also just as glad to see them both. It was great to see them again after they had risked their lives to help him escape.

Mulder noticed the facial hair John had crown into a goatee and laughed. "Guess you decided the clean shaven look wasn't for you after all."

John laughed and ran his hand over the neatly trimmed goatee and the hair on his had that had grown out slightly.

Monica's hair had grown several inches as well. They looked noticeably different after several years, but age didn't do them justice, they still looked great.

A moment later, a small girl followed by Maggie Scully had rushed down from the porch to greet them.

"Mommy, are these the friends you told me about?"

Monica smiled and took her daughter's hand. She was beautiful and you could tell in every day that she was the daughter of Monica Reyes and John Doggett. "Uh huh, yes, Oliva, these are our friends Dana and Mulder. They just had a baby."

She eyed them curiously. "Hi, Dana and Mulder."

The girl couldn't have been more than about 5 years old. Scully smiled at her. "She's beautiful, Monica."

"Thanks…you guys did well too," she said looking from the baby to the two of them.

Just then, Scully's mother had come between them, unable to wait any longer with the introductions. "Oh my god, Dana, I'm so sorry I couldn't be at the hospital….let me see my grandchild."

After Maggie hugged her daughter, Monica readily handed the baby to her grandmother. "Oh my goodness, Dana," she started. She admired the rosebud lips and chubby cheeks. "Something tells me this one is going to look more like Fox."

Mulder shrugged. "At least she didn't get my nose."

Scully eyed her mother suspiciously. "I didn't realize you were in contact with Doggett and Reyes, mom."

"Well, it's funny you mention it. I ran into them during my shopping trip shortly before the baby was born."

Monica smiled and rushed to Maggie's defense. "We've been wondering how you both were doing for such a long time. Skinner wouldn't reveal your whereabouts, understandably, but when we saw your mom, we really wanted to see you both again."

Scully wasn't surprised given the small bond Maggie had formed with Monica. She reminded her of Missy in many ways.

"Enough with that Dana, what's this sweetheart's name?"

Scully hesitated. "We decided on Vera. Vera Rose. It means faith."

Maggie studied her daughter for a moment, noting the cross still on her neck. "Good choice. I like it."

"Well, I hope someone brought dinner with them, because I'm starved," Mulder said as he headed for the entrance.

Mulder and Scully were grateful to find Maggie had already prepared some food she had picked up before going to their house to meet them.

Though Scully wasn't planning for this much excitement, she had to admit she hadn't seen many relatives or friends in years and their normally empty feeling house now felt full.

Monica and John had eagerly talked about their new roles in the FBI, even though the X-Files hadn't been active in some time. They still experienced some paranormal phenomenon in the new division they were in.

Once Scully was able to put the baby down to sleep, they all had given themselves a generous helping of the spaghetti and salad Maggie Scully had made. Scully had been grateful that her mother had not brought her brother with her. It had been several years since they had spoken, namely once he found out his nephew was given up for adoption. According to her mother, he was not keen on them having another child together without making efforts to get William back, not that there was any sort of possibility since her rights were entirely relinquished.

"This is really good Mrs. Scully, thank you," Doggett said through mouthfuls of food.

"Yeah, it's nice to not have cooking duty," Monica agreed, looking in Doggett's direction.

"It's the least I can do after all, I'm sure you're all exhausted."

Mulder looked across at the two across from them and nodded over at Olivia who seemed to be fascinated by the food on her plate. "Well, you and Agent Doggett certainly did well."

John reddened a bit and Monica touched his hand. "Well, we figured that since neither of us was getting any younger…."

"I'm glad to have a second chance," John quickly kissed her on the cheek.

Scully smiled. She didn't really believe in second chances…or a third in their case. She thought that that William was their last chance and hope. She had doubts about how she was able to conceive another child, especially at her age. She dare not speak those fears, especially since Mulder made it clear that they should love Vera as she was.

She was drawn out of her reverie when Monica had spoken. "Although we were dying to see you, there is another reason we had to see you both," she started.

Everyone immediately became silent.

Scully finally spoke. "What is it Monica," she was almost afraid to ask.

Monica looked down. "Well lately, I've been having these strange dreams," she started before looking over at Mulder.

"Dreams about what," Mulder caught her gaze on him and immediately knew what she was about to say was something to do with him.

"About your sister…Samantha."

To be continued….


	3. Chapter 3

"I've had some dreams about your sister…Samantha."

Mulder often recalled a discussion with Scully he had shortly after he had nearly gotten himself killed about seven months ago.

Though he was in pain, nothing compared to the pain of losing his partner, the woman whom he had shared a life with for nearly six years. After he had been on the run, away from her and their son, he never thought he'd have a second chance and here he was, he'd ruined it.

He had awoken in a hospital bed and the first thing he had taken note of was Scully's tearful expression, most likely because she thought she had lost him. Beside her was Skinner; he shut his eyes tightly as he vaguely remembered Skinner putting his jacket around him and telling him it would be okay. Man, he owned the man his life.

"Mulder?" Scully's expression was hopeful.

"What's up Doc. Hey Skin-man."

Scully had been so relieved, she didn't know whether or not to laugh or cry, so she did both. He knew what was coming next.

"Mulder, you almost got yourself killed," Skinner spoke tersely.

Mulder looked away. 'Thanks Captain Obvious'. He dared not say it out loud.

Scully looked over at Skinner and he nodded in unspoken agreement as he stepped outside. Scully sat on the edge of his hospital bed, at a loss for words.

"Well, despite being in a car crash, almost being decapitated and injected with animal tranquilizer, looks like you will be fine," she managed, looking away.

He touched her hand, but she pulled away. He knew she was torn.

"Scully….Dana."

That got her attention.

"I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry for, Mulder. I'm sorry I tried to stop you…as much as I want a normal life; I know the search for the truth is your life. I can't ask you to give that up," she bit her lip and looked away.

"I know, but there's something I realized, Scully. There's something I want more than that…to be with you."

As she was trying to fight tears to search for words, he continued. "I know I said we shouldn't be together and I was wrong. There's no point in searching for a truth if I don't have you, Scully."

"I cannot stop searching for answers, but I can promise I won't go off like that without you again."

He watched tears fall from her face. "I'm sorry about your car."

She managed a laugh at his ridiculous comment and placed her hand on his face, so relieved that he was still there with her.

"There's something else you need to know, Mulder. That wasn't the only reason I couldn't go with you."

He looked up at her in confusion. "What is it, Scully?"

"I'm pregnant," her voice broke.

Mulder felt a lump form in his throat at the news and his head started spinning even more at the result of his concussion. "Uh, what?"

"I couldn't go with you Mulder, because I'm pregnant."

He watched as she hugged herself and started to cry. "I'm sorry, I never expected this. Not at my age…I thought William was our miracle, that I was barren."

Mulder closed his eyes at an attempt to ease his spinning world. He sighed and opened them again after a few moments had passed. It all made sense to him now, she was afraid she would be alone like before and in an instant he really regretted everything he had said to her.

"I was afraid that I'd lose you again," she had turned her face away, but he could still see the tears that made their way down her face. "Mulder, when we saw the car, I feared the worst."

"How come you didn't tell me?" he whispered gently.

"I was afraid. I didn't know what to do….I didn't know if I could go through it again. Not after…"

He sat upright and pulled her to him. "It's okay. I'm not going anywhere, Scully. I promise you won't have to go through that ever again."

He cupped her face and brought her to meet his gaze. "Can you trust me?"

She nodded as she looked into his eyes. "You're the only one I trust, Mulder."

Scully felt a coldness seep through her at Monica's words. Her sanctuary crushing down at her at their implication. She looked over at Olivia and knew the girl shouldn't be there for this conversation.

"Come here, sweetie…let's get you ready for bed."

Doggett looked over at Olivia. "It's okay, pumpkin; can you go with Dana, please?"

The little brown eyed girl nodded and followed her.

"What are you saying, Agent Reyes?" Mulder continued.

"I'm saying that she's still alive."

Scully stood up from her seat without a word and slowly made her way to the baby's nursery as if she were in a trance.

"It's impossible. My sister is dead. I found her body."

"But it wasn't her body, Mulder."

Mulder threw his fists down on the table, causing everyone to flinch. "What the hell are you saying?"

Monica continued as if she was oblivious to Mulder's anger and rage. "You know I was adopted…around the same age as your sister. I don't remember most of my childhood, but I started having these dreams…about a boy named Fox and a spaceship."

Mulder couldn't believe this. "That's impossible. There's no way it could be true. You're crazy."

Monica was unrelenting. "I never wanted to meet my adoptive parents. I never searched for them, but when I had Olivia, I needed to know where I came from. For her sake."

After Scully had helped Olivia to sleep in their guest bedroom, she stood in the nursery, watching her sleeping baby.

She felt her mom come up beside her. "Dana?"

She could hear Doggett's voice in the distance. "You have to listen to her Mulder, I didn't believe it either. I still don't know how to process all of this."

She barely heard her mom's voice speak her name one more time before sank down to the floor and began to cry. Her mom putting her arms around her and rocking her was the last thing she remembered.

To be continued….

A/N: Hope all of you enjoyed! More twists to come!


	4. Chapter 4

The next few days were a blur….she had made arrangements for Mulder and Monica to have DNA testing so she could compare the results at home herself. She didn't want to admit how afraid she was of her life losing its normalcy after so long. She was afraid of what the results might mean and how it would change their lives.

She also had a blood sample drawn from Vera before they had left the hospital while Mulder was unaware. She needed to desperately compare the DNA to William's. And if Monica was really Mulder's long lost sister, it was entirely possible Oliva shared similar DNA to William as well, although Monica showed no abnormal fear or concern about her daughter.

Monica had also revealed that Gibson was still with them; well he would stay with them from time to time. She was surprised to learn that Skinner and Kim were taking care of him most of the time, though he hadn't mentioned anything of that sort when she saw him last. Scully was glad Skinner had found someone to share his life with, he deserved happiness.

Scully sucked in a breath when she retrieved the overnighted parcel from the delivery guy. Mulder, having sensed her apprehension, was already waiting in the living room area. Scully's hands were trembling as she opened the package, but she knew it had to be done. Mulder watched as she pulled a few sheets from the folder and carefully examined them, using her medical expertise.

He started at her for what seemed like an eternity before he said something. "Well?"

"According to this, Mulder. Monica's DNA is a match to yours…" she said carefully.

Mulder looked down and rubbed his temple, trying his best to absorb this information the best way he could. "After fifteen years of searching….my sister has been alive this whole time. That means I failed Scully."

Scully started to set the papers down before he took them from her hands, needing to see it for himself. "No, Mulder. You couldn't possibly have known….you know adoption records are sealed and highly confidential…especially closed adoptions, anonymous adoptions are hard to trace," Mulder nodded, knowing exactly what she was going to say. It was why she had given up William to make sure he was safe, it was the only way.

"Well, my parents allowed her to be abducted as far as I know."

Scully shook her head. "Maybe they gave her up for adoption so she could be safe, so there would be no more tests. And her death could have been staged to reaffirm her safety…no one would ever know." Having given up William, for a moment, Scully could imagine what Tina and Bill Mulder had to do.

Mulder allowed himself to sink to the floor next to the couch. She gingerly moved towards him and touched his arm, allowing him to open up to her and to grieve for what was once lost, but wasn't really gone after all.

"Sam…Monica didn't suffer, Mulder. She had a very good rapport with her adoptive parents and never desired to seek her real parents. It gave me hope…"

Mulder held up his hand. "Stop, Scully, please. What if our son never wants to find us?"

Scully swallowed back tears. "I have a hard time conceiving that possibility myself, but I made that decision to keep him safe and that had to come before my own fears."

Mulder shook his head. "All these years I had reason to believe she was dead and now she's alive, all the time I have lost."

Scully nodded. "I know," it had dawned on her that Vera's file had been in that same package and she caught Mulder's eye. Before she could grab the papers and hide them, she watched as Mulder flipped through them and she said. "What is this Scully? Do you want to explain to me what this is?"

"I had Vera's DNA tested and compared to William's."

"I thought we had talked about this already? Whether she does share his abilities or not, it's not going to change anything."

Scully grabbed the papers from him. "I know, Mulder, but I have to know. I'm her mother and it's my responsibility to make sure she is safe," she stood and turned away. "You cannot tell me you'd rather go on without knowing."

Mulder sighed. "No, but we cannot change what is, Scully," he pulled her to face him.

Scully closed her eyes. "We need to know more about Monica and John's daughter."

Mulder managed a small laugh. "If there was anything unusual, I'm sure Monica would be first to know." It was hard for Mulder to conceive that the woman they had known for several years was his sister all this time. He didn't even think anything of the fact that she was adopted, but then again, many people out there were.

Scully smiled. "I suppose you're right, but we'd better talk to her too, about the results."

The baby chose that moment to cry from her nursery and Scully was up instantly. "Not that anything surprises that woman," she grinned before heading towards the hallway.

"And Scully?"

Scully stopped to an immediate halt and spun on her heel to face Mulder. "Yes, Mulder?"

"Thank you….I promise this isn't going to change anything. I promised you a normal life and it's a promise I intend to keep." He and Monica were still the same people they had always been and the fact that she has been his sister all this time wouldn't change anything but their knowledge. He couldn't argue that things wouldn't be entirely the same between them.

Scully nodded. She knew there would always be things outside of their control, but for now she wanted to enjoy the life she now had for however long the peace lasted.

To be continued….


	5. Chapter 5

Although it had been several months since the DNA testing, Dana Scully still lay awake at night for about an hour before falling asleep. This had unfortunately been the routine for years, finding herself reminiscing about the past and what could have been. Mulder's truth had finally been revealed to him, nearly 16 years after they'd been working together. They had everything they wanted, yet William's absence still left a void in Scully's heart.

Scully was returning to work the next morning, on a part time basis. It wasn't going to be easy leaving her daughter for the first time since her birth, but she was glad she could now count on her mom and Monica to help out when they could, especially since Mulder had started teaching a class at the academy. She was so relieved to be in contact with friends and family again and even her brother was starting to come around.

The next morning, Scully found it more difficult than ever to say bye to Vera. The little girl's wide smile with hazel eyes and auburn hair warmed her heart each time. She knew there was no danger, not like there was with William, but she still suffered from PTSD from the several attacks that were made on William.

"Say bye to mama," Maggie cooed as she held out the baby towards Scully. Scully smiled and touched the girl's outstretched hand and leaned in to place a kiss on the baby's forehead. "I love you my sweet girl," she whispered. As Maggie watched her daughter, she knew the parting would be difficult. Though she was a homemaker while her children were growing up, she knew her daughter loved her work. "Dana, you know you don't have to go back to work just yet."

Scully managed a smile as she moved away from her daughter. "I know, Mom, but it's okay, I'm ready for this, I really am. Thank you for being here."

Maggie smiled. "That's what Grandmothers are for, honey."

Scully finally managed to say bye to the both of them before getting into her car and heading towards the hospital. She picked up a quick latte, her usual, on the way to work. While she was glad to get back to saving lives, she knew she would miss and worry about her daughter terribly. This was her last chance at being a mother.

Once she arrived, she saw her desk was showered in baby gifts. She chuckled as she down her things before she took a look at her list of new patients. Christian had been a reoccurring outpatient the past few months, though he had made considerable progress since the surgery. She had to admit she had developed a bond with the boy. As she went through the files, one particular patient caught her eye, a William Van de Kamp. She took a deep breath as a wave of emotions passed through her. Although she had no idea of her son's whereabouts, she knew that he was far away from Washington. Curiosity getting the best of her, she made her way down the hall towards the hospital room where William Van de Kamp was admitted. Once she reached the door, she stopped and looked over the boy's file. As she went over it, the words "abnormal brain activity" stuck out at her, but as she read on, there was a history of psychiatric evaluations in Buffalo, Wyoming. She frowned before she entered the room and what she saw had her stopping in her tracks. The little boy resting in the boy turned in her direction and smiled up at her. He had deep blue eyes and auburn hair, just like her William, though it was entirely possible those features could have changed over time as he grew older.

As Scully fought for words while looking at the boy that so closely resembled her long lost son, he spoke first. "Hi."

Scully took a deep breath and closed her eyes before looking back up. "Hi, sweetie, how are you doing?" she asked as she walked towards the bed, occupying herself with his medical file, going over his medical reports once more.

"I don't want to do anymore tests."

Scully looked over at him, afraid to hope. "I know…but we're going to take good care of you okay?"

She couldn't break eye contact as he looked up at her with deep blue eyes. For a moment, she allowed herself to imagine the face of her baby before she had given him up for adoption. As if he could read her thoughts, he said "I know."

Before she could respond, the door opened from behind her and she nearly jumped at the couple which seemed only slightly older than her. "Hi, are you Doctor Scully?"

Scully hesitated before nodding slowly. "Yes, Mr and Mrs. Van de Kamp?"

"Yes, we're William's parents. Could we speak outside for a moment?"

Scully nodded. "Sure, of course."

With one last look at William, she managed a small smile and followed them outside.

"We've tried many different facilities…we only hope that we don't have to put him through this anymore," Mrs. Van de Kamp began. Scully nodded solemnly.

"I see that William has been admitted to the hospital many times for psychiatric evaluations…as his doctor, may I ask why?"

Mr. Van de Kamp sighed. "It started when he was young, he was hearing voices inside of his head…he would have headaches constantly and…other things we cannot explain. We sometimes wonder if it had anything to do with his biological parents."

Scully gasped. She couldn't dare hope, not yet. "So you're saying he was adopted?"

They both nodded. "We love him so much, but we don't know what to do, that's why we came here."

Scully looked away for a moment. "Well, he is in good hands." It was all Scully could do to not collapse. There was no way any of this was happening; no way could this boy be her son. But his symptoms sounded exactly like those Mulder had experienced the year he thought he was dying. What would she tell Mulder?

To be continued….


	6. Chapter 6

Seeing his mother for the first time in many years brought so many familiar feelings of warmth and love. He knew his mother had loved him and when he looked into her smiling face, he still felt that warmth as well as feelings of sadness and uncertainty. Though he could only remember bits and pieces of his childhood, those images brought him peace. He always felt he was different and as much as he loved his adoptive parents for giving him such a happy childhood, he always wanted to know where he came from and see the red headed woman in his dreams that always seemed to cry for him. Was she afraid for him?

"I'll kill you if you touch my baby!" the terrified voice in his head repeated.

In spite of the many images that flooded his memory with anguish of his mother trying to protect him, he also recalled a sweet voice, although lacking tone, but sweet and soft as honey nonetheless singing to him. "William was a bullfrog, was a good friend of mine".

His memories of his father were very vague, but he could still vaguely recall how protected he felt in his arms and his happiness. His other memory was of when he believed his father went away and didn't come back. The redhead in his memory and dreams would cry a lot, but the woman here at the hospital seemed strong and protective. He was sure she recognized him too. He would give anything to be held in her arms again, to tell her that he understood why she gave him up and because of that he had wonderful parents and a normal childhood for the most part.

Scully had quickly retreated to her office and barely set down her things before she placed her head in her hands, in a feeble attempt to conceal her wavering emotions. Thankfully, no one else was in the office and she let the tears fall freely. Somehow, her baby had come back to her, only he wasn't hers anymore and she couldn't bear that thought all the same. She wanted so badly to hold and kiss him, to ask him how his family had been treating him. But there was no way she could do that with the boy being in such a fragile state of mind.

Without another thought, Scully reached for her phone and dialed Mulder's phone number, only to reach his voicemail. "Mulder…there's uh, something I need to tell you…it can't wait. Can you please come to the hospital when you get this message?" She ended the call before she could break down again. She needed to talk to Mulder, but at the same time she was afraid of how he would react, would he even believe her? Not that she could blame him, Christian reminded her so much of her son that it almost became personal and that connection almost prevented her from treating his disease. She was sure this boy was her son, she just knew.

She decided to call the one other person who just may have the answers she was looking for.

Several hours later, she found herself walking down the halls of the FBI to director Skinner's office and ignoring the stares she usually was subjected to when returning to the FBI. She was grateful to Kim who immediately buzzed her in. "Hi Agent…I mean Doctor Scully, Director Skinner has been waiting for you."

Scully managed a smile. "Thank you. It's okay Kim; you can just call me Dana now."

She smiled as she let Scully enter Skinner's office.

Seeing Skinner in Kersh's old office was definitely going to take some getting used to.

Skinner looked up immediately upon seeing Scully enter his office. It was too much like old times. The last time he saw Scully this beside herself, Mulder was nearly decapitated. "Dana, please sit down."

Scully nodded and once she sat down, she was unable to meet his gaze. She bit her lip. "Dana, what's going on? Is Mulder in some type of trouble again?" She shook her head and he waited patiently for her to speak the words that were troubling her. "No, it's uh, about William."

Skinner paused for a moment as he was at a loss for words. They hadn't spoken the name of the child she had given away so long ago.

She looked up at him when she realized he was waiting for her to speak. "Today, I had a new patient, a boy named William Van De Kamp."

Skinner gasped at the implications of her statement. From his expression, Scully could tell the name was familiar to him. "What is it that you came here to ask me, Dana?" Knowing full well what it was.

She folded her hands and looked away. "I need to know the details of William's adoption…I know, I know I made you promise to never tell anyone, not even me where he was going, but uh, something happened today and I need to know."

"Scully, what's going on?"

Scully swallowed and finally managed to meet his gaze. "I think that patient is my son and that his appearance is anything but coincidental."

Skinner was silent, at a loss for words.

Scully walked closer to him, with that sad look on her face that made him willing to do just about anything for her. "Tell me, do you know the last name of his adoptive parents?"

He looked away. "Scully, I..."

She threw her hands in the air, beside herself. "Walter, please, you have to tell me. If this is my son, I need to know. He could be in danger."

Skinner sighed before leaning in to whisper. "Yes, the mother and father are a Mr. and Mrs. Van De Kamp. They live in a small town in Wyoming."

Scully placed her hands on her hips and paced around the room. "Then, what is he doing in Virginia?"

"If it is him, Dana."

"I'm positive it's him. I know he's my son."

"Have you told Mulder?"

"Not yet…I had to ask you first, I'm not sure if he'd believe me."

Skinner removed the glasses from the bridge of his nose. "To be honest, I'm not sure if I can believe this myself. If this is really William, what will that change? You know that adoption is final as much as I do, Scully."

As much as it was the truth, the words still struck Scully's core. There was a reason William was here, but he was never coming back to her and she wasn't sure she could handle that reality after seeing him.

"I know, but I need to know that he's going to be safe…can you help me do that Walter?"

He sighed. "I'll see what I can do."

To be continued….


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning, Scully had arrived at the hospital to find that her little patient was gone. "Where is the boy that was in 307?" She inquired of the reception desk.

The girl at the counter shrugged her shoulders. "He was discharged yesterday, Dr. Scully."  
"How could he have been discharged? I am his doctor and how could he have been discharged in his condition?!" She demanded.

Scully sighed and didn't even wait for an answer as she quickly exited

the lobby and dialed Skinner's number. "He's gone," she managed in a whisper, as if she had lost her last resolve.

"I know, but I have some good news. I found an address for his...his family," he continued even though he knew the words stung. "This little boy named William Van De Kamp lives in Wyoming."  
"What's he doing all the way out here in Virginia?"

"Looks like his adoptive parents have family out this way...a grandmother the boy often visits."  
Scully hesitated, she couldn't believe she was this much closer to her son...but he would never be hers again.

"Dana?"

"I have to tell Mulder."

"Well, that would be a good idea."

"Thank you, sir."

Scully struggled with the proper words...the conversation she planned to have with Mulder repeated in her head as she drove home. She managed to get a sample of William Van de Kamp's blood from the hospital and ordered the test to be done that would compare it to her own. She knew this was the boy, but the scientist in her needed the proof as well.

If this William really was hers, what would it change? She would be fooling herself if she thought they could have their family again. She had blessed another couple with the miracle that was once bestowed upon her and she couldn't take him away from his family. But why was the boy pulled from the hospital when he seemed to be so sick?

She sighed as she felt the engine of her car begin to sputter before coming to a stop about 2 miles from the entrance of her home. What the hell? She just had this car repaired not long after Mulder had come close to totaling it off the side of a cliff. She exited the deserted road to take a look at the engine, not that she'd really know what the issue was. She pulled out her phone and began to dial Mulder. It was only a moment before she could hit the call button before she heard a motion from behind. All she could do was let out a gasp before everything around her went black.

Mulder was eagerly anticipating Scully's arrival that evening to show off his cooking skills. He wanted to do something for her after she had been on her feet all day when she really shouldn't be. She started to grow worried after a few hours had passed her usual arrival time. He called her several times before calling her hospital...only to find out she left 3 hours ago.

Well, where the hell was she?! After living in isolation this long, she was the only reason he woke up in the enough, he decided to pull his coat on and make his way down to the entrance of their home. He picked up a sleeping Vera from her play pin and headed out door. He was finally able to have a car of his own and be semi self sufficient again. He had a nagging feeling something was wrong and he couldn't sit at home a moment longer powerless to do anything about it. He drove down the usual way Scully took home; his blood ran cold when he came upon Scully's car on the side of the road. He got out and looked it over, obvious she was nowhere in sight.

He saw the opening of the hood, where it was evident someone had tampered with the engine. "Scully," he screamed, though he didn't expect any response. He came across her phone sitting on the concrete and her purse still in the passenger side of the car. He grabbed the purse and scanned it...for any possible trace of evidence to link him to who had possibly did this.

The only thing he found was a piece of paper that had the address of a William Van de Kamp from Wyoming along with another local address. What the hell was she doing? Was she trying to find their son? And why hadn't she thought to mention it to him? He felt a pang of anger that she would do this behind his back, especially since they had so much at stake. He picked up her phone and looked at the call history, finding a few calls from Skinner. He felt a mixture of emotions...fear, anger and maybe a bit of jealousy. He clicked the call button and waited until he heard Skinner's voice. "Skinner."

"What the hell is going on?" He demanded.

"Mulder?" Skinner was caught off guard.

"Who else?"

Skinner sighed and Mulder wanted to demand answers.

"It's Scully," he finally said. "She's gone. Someone took her."

"What do you mean, Mulder?"

"She didn't come home and I went to look for her and I found her car stalled, only she wasn't in it."  
Skinner swore under his breath, finally regretting getting the information for Scully that she wanted so desperately

"Look sir, I'm not happy you both kept me in the dark, but I am going to assume this has something to do with William that Scully didn't want me to know about."

"It's not for the reasons you think, Mulder. She didn't want you to worry about her until she was sure."  
Mulder rolled his eyes. That plan definitely backfired.

"Does it have to do with a patient of hers, a William van de Kamp?"  
"I believe it does, yes, Mulder."

Scully was very recently in a dark place about her patient, Christian Fearon. She was obsessive to the point of going against hospital regulations, not that it was a bad thing as she could have possibly saved his life. However, he hated to admit that the loss of William was really taking a toll on her, on both of them. Neither of them was ready to admit what really happened. It was still an unspoken topic between them. He didn't want to admit his resentment for her giving away their baby without his knowing, nor did he want her to shoulder that burden of his resentment. Logically, he knew she was just as torn, if not more so.

"All right, I will gather a task force." Sometimes Skinner hated being the middle man. "Now, don't go doing anything-" he started to say before the line went dead. "Stupid."

Mulder couldn't wait. He had to find her. It had been such a long time since their work the X-Files, that she was so used to her coming home to him each day, he didn't want to think that danger still followed them...though he knew in his heart that the darkness always followed them and he knew Scully couldn't accept that. He thought he was okay with it, but not if it meant losing her.


	8. Chapter 8

Scully woke and strained her eyes against the darkness. Her heart began to race once she remembered what landed her here, whereever here was. She touched her temple, where a little blood had dried and her head throbbed. She knew she at least suffered a minor concussion as a result of being hit with a large heavy object...probably a pipe.

She pushed herself into a standing position once her eyes fully adjusted to the darkness. She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of movement a few feet away. "It's okay," the childlike, yet mature sounding voice responded. A very familiar voice Scully recognized instantly. She took a deep breath.

"It's okay, don't be scared." he repeated. "It's me, William."

"William? My William?" She didn't dare to hope.

"Yes, I know who you are, you're my mom."

This was too much for Scully to handle right now with the danger they were in. She often dreamed of the day she would be reunited with her son, but not like this.

A moment later, she could see him. He had to be 7 now. It was too dark to see any detail, but she knew it was the same boy from the hospital.

She wiped away tears, hoping he couldn't see her this way. "What are you... what are we doing here, William," she fought with much difficulty to keep her voice from breaking.

"The bad men are after me, took me away. I had to go with them, otherwise they would have hurt my other mom and dad to get me."

Scully's battle with her emotions was finally lost due to her pregnancy hormones. She stepped forward and pulled him close to her. He was tall for his age, he must have gotten his height from Mulder.

"Oh god, sweetie, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," she cried, burrowing her face into his neck, unable to control the wretching sobs. He felt his small arms pull her close, as if it was something he had been wanting to do for some time. He held onto her tightly.

She placed her fingers through his hair and caressed his head softly; something she had always done when he was a baby. "I am so afraid you'll never forgive me. I love you so much."

"I know, I know you tried to protect me many times."

Scully kneeled down next to him. "Why were you in that hospital, William? Is something wrong? What happened to you?"

Will pulled back just slightly, still holding on tightly to his mother as if she would disappear if he didn't.

"I know you know something is different about me, mom."

Scully shook her head as she remembered that awful night Spender had injected her baby with the magnetite...the metal that was supoosed to rid William of his abilities. "But, you're normal now..."

"I lost my ability to move things with my brain when Uncle Jeff gave me that shot with that bad needle...but that didn't stop them. I can still see and feel things with my head."

Like Gibson, but Scully didn't want her baby to be in danger.

"Oh god," she whispered. "You can't read my mind can you?"

"No, I can only sense your feelings."

Scully pulled back and pulled them into a sitting position into the darkness.

"I know you have another baby, I can sense her...my sister."

She couldn't help but smile. "Yes, you do have a little sister, William. Her name is Vera. Once I get us out of here, I'd like you to meet her."

He smiled. "I would like that."

"What were you doing in the hospital, William? You were obviously very sick."

He shook his head and looked down sadly. "My adoptive mom and dad don't know what's wrong with me...why I hear and sense different things. I know I'm not like other kids. The shot Uncle gave me made it so I could live a normal life as much as possible, but now, things are changing...I need to be able to help you and dad save the world."

To be continued...


	9. Chapter 9

It didn't take Mulder long to get the information he needed. Skinner got in touch with Agent Reyes and Doggett who were able to obtain hospital visitation records that included William's admission to the hospital, only William was not discharged with the same people who admitted him. Someone by the name of Martha van de Kamp signed his release.

While it was true William had a grandmother in this area, Mulder easily guessed this was the work of super soldiers. It took several hours more than he liked, but he was able to obtain a license plate of the vehicle that belonged to William's "grandmother" and Monica Reyes obtained the corresponding address almost instantly.

Not five minutes later, Mulder was pulling on his coat and shoes at his home. "Mulder, where are you going without reinforcements?" Demanded Skinnner.

"Oh, I thought you had that handled," he answered almost sarcastically, knowing fully well that was not what he was referring to. Though Mulder had a license and permit to carry, he couldn't do this on his own since he was no longer FBI.

Skinner shook his head and looked over at Doggett who nodded. "Let's get this sonofabitch and get this kid home."

Monica had agreed to stay and watch the baby along with their 5 daughter daughter, Olivia, who were both sleeping in Vera's room.

"Be careful," she whispered to John.

"I know, you too," he kissed her.

Monica was already preparing a backup squad to zone in on the location they were nearly certain Scully was and where William was taken. No sense in alarming his adoptive family until he was found.

The three men exited the house quickly and opted for Mulder's sedan as to not draw suspicion. Mulder had vowed that whoever was doing this to his family was going to suffer. At the same time, of this was really thier son, he also was a bit afraid. He hadn't seen the boy since he was a baby...since he was 2 days old. How would William react to him? How would he react to this child he barely knew, but Scully had plenty of time to be so close to?

Scully wanted to cry at the fact William had to take so much on already in his short life. "William," she whispered. "What are we doing here?"she finally asked the question she feared.

"They want to do what they couldn't before they tried to kill me all those years ago. They want to kill dad. They know he's coming for us."

"Oh god," she whispered and choked back a sob. "Mulder."

It took a good two hours, but the 3 of them came to a stop 2 miles from the ranch property that was tied to the vehicle that took William. Skinner exited the driver's side. Their pockets were packed full of magnetite rocks, some alien virus vaccines an and armor...though they expected to utilize the latter more.

Mulder appreciated the fact that he wasn't doing this alone, even if he was a bit resentful of being kept in the dark. Today, was going to be a father again.

The neared the property at a mile or so, coming across the car with the matching license plate they were tied to. It had been 24 hours since Scully disappeared, so they were making good time, however, Mulder really hoped his gut was right about William and Scully being in the same place.

As they neared a large property that looked as if it spanned several acres, Agent Doggett shook his head. "Something doesn't add up about all of this. If they have William, why take Scully...and isn't it true that William doesn't have powers anymore?

"Your guess is as good as mine, Agent Doggett."

"Wait, maybe it's got something to do with why they want William. When William was abducted by this group of men 6 years ago, they told Scully and Agent Reyes something about aliens ruling the world...that William played some part in it and that if you were alive, you were preventing that from happening."

Mulder and Skinner were very uncomfortable at the reminder of the incident...Mulder for not being there to protect his son and Skinner for not disclosing any information to Scully, believing he was protecting her by doing so.

"You still don't believe it Agent Doggett?"

Doggett opened his mouth to respond, but it died on his lips as Mulder let out a scream. Skinner whirled around in time to see Mulder being pulled backwards into nothingness. "Mulder!" He yelled.

He lunged forward in an attempt to grab his arm, but within an instant, he was gone.

To be continued...


	10. Chapter 10

Skinner and Doggett stared in horror as Mulder vanished before them.

"Shit, I guess you were right about that one, John."

"Well, I didn't want to be right. Come on, let's get to this place before we disappear too. I'm sure they too him to wherever Scully is."

Mulder opened his eyes and squinted against the sunlight. He swore someone had grabbed him, yet here he lay in the field in front of a larger property. This had to be it...had to be the ship they brought Scully and his son to.

"Mulder?" He heard a familiar female voice say into his ear.

"Agent Reyes?"

"What happened...I lost connection with you for a second and Director Skinner and Agent Doggett thought they had lost you."

Mulder stood and quickly attempted to head towards the building.

"I don't know, Agent Reyes, but I'm assuming I'm within the barrier of a space ship and starting to believe that I'm the one they are after."

"Be careful, Mulder."

"How is the baby doing?" He had to ask.

"She's doing fine...but I can tell she is discontented with the fact Dana has been gone so long and you."

Mulder sighed. He had to get Scully and get home.

Doggett and Skinner were relieved Reyes had made contact with Mulder and the reassurance, that backup was on call.

It was what or who was coming next that caught them off guard.

A tall figure, much over 6 feet headed their way in the distance.

"Shit," Doggett exclaimed.

"What is it?"

"It's Knowle Rohrer."

Meanwhile, Mulder managed to pick the lock of the closest door with the light tools in his pocket. He scanned the premises befpre heading inside pf what appeared to be a military base...much like the one he escaped from several years back.

He ducked behind several walls of areas protected by armed men...men he wasn't ready to face quite yet.

He came upon a camera room with a single guard and slowly approached from behind until the man in camouflage whirled around at him, but not before Mulder plunged a needle directly into his spine and pushed him to the side. He tucked a piece of magnetite rock into his front pocket and proceeded to scan the cameras quickly until he spotted Scully in a dark room, along with an unfamiliar boy, which he knew had to be his son.

Realizing there was no time to process that, he quickly moved to shut down the system, disabling the cameras once he knew where he had to go. Before he finished, he pulled thr emergency fire alarm and fled the room.

Skinner and Doggett waited for Rhorer to disappear before making their way towards the area until the heard a piercing sound of a fire alarm that resulted in a flood of men exiting the building.

"Don't tell me this is Mulder's doing," Skinner whispered.

Doggett looked over at his boss in horror.

"What do we do now, sir?"

"We hope and pray we're not sitting ducks, Agent Doggett, but we'll have to trust he knows what he's doing."

Scully nearly jumped at the sound of the alarms and instinctively pulled William towards her. Despite his maturity for his age, she knew he was scared as much as she was. "It's okay," she whispered. "It's going to be okay."

"He's here, " William whispered in a shaky voice.

"Who?"

"My dad, he's come to save us."

Scully faught her fear and hoped Mulder would get to them in one piece. He had to. They had another child at home.

Doggett and Skinner had to make a detour around the sudden outflux of men and women, whonwere obviously aware of an intrusion.

"Going somewhere?" Came the familiar voice that sent chills down Doggett's back.

"John?" He heard Monica say. "John, who is that."

"Knowle Rhorer," the words faded on his lips.

"Get backup," Skinner demanded.

"Already done, sir."

"John!" She repeated.

Knowle proceeded closer towards them. "Well, well, John, I didn't expect to see you again."

"I hoped I had taken the trash out for good."

Scully heard a door open and though she clutched William closer to her protectively, she gave a sigh of relief at the sight of Mulder who immediately tensed and was unsure of what to say to the son he hadn't seen since he was just a few days old staring back at him.

He did look a lot like Scully with those deep blue eyes, but he also recognized the unmistakable brown hair that was his own.

"Mulder," she whispered.

Mulder snapped out of his reverie and seemed to remember that they were still in a lot of danger here. This wasn't the proper time for a reunion.

"Come on," he grabbed her free hand and rushed them out of the prison-like cell.

It was only moments before Doggett was certain he would meet his fate that the FBI flooded the area and came to their aid. He wasn't sure why, but Rohrer had left him...he could have easily shifted once the reinforcements arrived, but he disappeared into the barrier in which Mulder escaped.

He wasn't sure why, but maybe part of his old friend still existed somewhere beneath that alien facade.

He turned to see Skinner pulling himself off of the ground and not much after he saw Mulder, Scully and a young boy headed towards them, did EMT's swarm over them to examine their injuries.

Somehow they came through that barrier, no doubt that had something to do with Mulder & Scully's son, but his head hurt too much to think.

They would get out of here alive.

To be continued...


	11. Chapter 11

Once they were safely back in D.C, all of them were examined for any and all possible injuries. They had gotten word th t the new site harboring the alien human hybrids had been torched and burned. But they both new there would be another base.

It seemed as if Mulder and Scully had little time with William, before social services had later arrived along with his adoptive parents. Scully already felt the emptiness settle in once the child she longed to bring home for so long was taken from her yet again. William was just as reluctant as she was to leave her and it took all the strength she could muster to tell him to go and that she would see him soon.

"Dana."

Scully turned to see Reyes approaching them with their baby daughter in her arms, who appeared just as excited to see them too. Once the space had closed between them, Vera gave that goofy grin that definitely came from Mulder and held out her arms to her mother.

In all the time she spent in that cell, she feared she would never see her baby daughter again. "Hi sweetie," she managed through tears she could no longer control. She kissed her baby's forehead and and buried her face into her baby's neck, breathing in the soft baby scent.

Mulder placed his arm protectively around Scully, pulling them closer to him.

"How is he," Monica finally managed to ask.

Mulder looked from Scully, who seemed oblivious to them in her own reverie, to Reyes. "He's fine...his, uh, adoptive parents came right away when they heard the news."

She nodded slowly, sensing how emotional they must have been over this. Steps came from behind them and Monica looked over to see Skinner approaching them.

"Agent Reyes."

He looked towards Scully, who was still tightly holding onto her baby for dear life, afraid of what was next.

"Mulder, Dana."

"Where is he?"

"He's okay," Skinner started hesitantly. "He's on the way home with his parents."

Scully knew that didn't mean them, but part of her wanted to believe.

She wanted so much to see him one last time, she wasn't ready to let him go. Mulder had wanted a few minutes with the son he barely knew, he wanted a proper introduction.

"But how do we know it's safe for them?" Scully demanded.

"We've offered every protection."

Scully raised her eyebrow skeptically. Skinner expected this reaction and he couldn't blame her. "I personally made sure they did, no go home and get some rest."

John had walked over to them, a few bandages had beennplaced over his brow. Monica turned and smiled at him.

"Where's Olivia?"

"She's at home, with my mom. She came when she heard the news."

Doggett shook his head. "I just don't understand what happened with Knowle...he should have been dead."

Skinner turned to Doggett. "Whoever it was, it wasn't the same Knowle Rhorer you knew from seven years ago."

"Clones, Agent Doggett...if you can wrap your head around it," Mulder said.

He nodded. Though he was much more open minded before, he was never getting used to the idea that almost anyone could be inhuman.

"Let's go home, it's been a long past few days," Skinner insisted...growing uncomfortable.

Silence passed between Mulder and Scully as they made the 2 hour drive home from the FBI. Mulder looked over to see Scully's face turned away from him, staring out the window. He gently reached for her hand, which went limp in his own. She didn't turn towards him and he lovingly stroked her fingers.

Scully felt lost after silently shedding several tears in the past hour. She didn't get to say goodbye to the child she knew was still unsafe. Mulder didn't even have a chance to properly meet him. It was as if she felt there was some way they could be a family again.

"I wanted to meet them," she whispered finally. "I wanted them to know how much I love him and that I only gave him up to protect him."

"I know, Scully." He was unsure of what to say.

He parked the car shortly after stopping once he reached the end of thelong driveway to their home. "I wanted you to know him too."

"He knew who I was, Scully, he always has. When you were being examined, he came to me and told me he knew who I was and that he knew why I had to go away to protect you both."

Scully stared, opened mouthed. She glanced at their sleeping child in the back seat and then back at him. "He told me to keep you and Vera safe. He told me you often sang to him whenever he didn't see you sad...a song he hears in his sleep, William was a bullfrog."

Scully smiled tearfully as Mulder let out a chuckle at the thought of Scully who couldn't carry a tune singing lovingly to their baby.

"He told me his parents love him very much and that he's happy."

"Maybe, then, I can try to accept he isn't ours anymore, maybe I can try to move forward. I just can't accept thar we'll never see him again."

Mulder nodded and ran his hand through her long strawberry blonde locks of hair. He pulled her close and kissed her.

Several days later, Scully was still saddened by the fact that her son whom she hadn't seen in 7 years was gone. She had returned to the hospital a few days a week, putting her thoughts into helping other disadvantaged kids like Christian Fearon, who had made a full recovery once she performed life saving treatment on him.

One day, she came home to an unfamiliar vehicle in her driveway that she only knew must belong to someone at the FBI. A dreadful feeling stuck in the pit of her stomach as she parked at the end of the narrow road.

She hurried out of the car and up the stairs. She opened the door to see Mulder sitting on their couch across from a man and a woman. Skinner sat next to them. "What's going on," she asked worriedly.

The four figures turned towards her. The couple she did not recognize.

"You better sit down, Scully," Skinner suggested.

"What is it," She asked urgently.

Sensing her distress, Mulder got up and moved towards her. "It's okay, Scully, nothing is wrong." he whispered and gingerly brought her to him. His touch was always reassuring that everything was going to be okay. He placed his arms protectively around her.

Scully looked down as Mulder urged the older couple to continue speaking.

She seemed to sense that this was something to do with William when they introduced themselves as the Van De Kamps. But where was William?

"Dr. Scully, right?" The man who had identified himself as Edward Van de Kamp started.

She nodded slowly, barely able to meet his gaze. She wasn't ready for this...she had to grieve her son all over again these past few days, beating herself up for the choice she made.

"Yes...is, is there something wrong with William," her voice broke. "Is he okay?"

Skinner and Mulder watched her with protective, yet steady gazes.

"Yes," Marilyn Van de Kamp said, feeling Scully's unease. "We just wanted to talk to you about him...after everything that's happened. I'm sure you have so many questions as do we."

This couple was definitely not far from their ages, though Edward was balding and his wife, Marilyn looked slightly beyond their years.

"As I'm sure you know already...William is different than other kids...we were however blessed to have him as we were unable to concieve a child of our own," Marilyn started.

Scully felt tears well in her eyes as she looked to Mulder for strength. He took hold of her free hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

She saw the couple across from them do the same.

"He is very well liked by his classmates, however. We terrified when we be able to saw things we couldn't explain...we always had this fear, you know, about why his mother would give him up, but the adoption agency assured us that this had been a difficult decision for you as you were alone and a single mother."

It was Mulder's turn to look away. Guilt evident all over his features.

Skinner, growing uncomfortable, excused himself from the room and stepped outside to give them all some privacy.

Trembling, Scully willed herself to speak. "Yes...we were, uh, in a lot of danger at that time as a result of our work with the FBI...I had to send Mulder away as his life was threatened. I didn't give up William though, because of his abilities...I loved...love him so much regardless of that. There had been numerous attempts on his life that I was afraid...afraid that I couldn't protect him...we spent a lot of time ensuring this adoption had no traces. We didn't want him to grow up in fear."

The brunette nodded slowly. Taking in all of this information.

"I was, uh, left with the inability to concieve as well...I was never supposed to have children. William was my miracle," Scully wiped a tear from her face. She felt Mulder rubbing her back soothingly.

"But you have another baby, a girl, right?"

Scully nodded. As if on cue, she heard the sound of Vera's cries from the baby monitor next to them. She needed an excuse to get away from this...it was becoming too much.

"Excuse me," she said, barely able to contain her tears as she made the way to her daughter's nursery.

Mulder looked from Scully as she walked away, to the confused parents.

"I have to let you know that if you knew Scully...she is an amazing mother who loves her children, that she truly thought she was doing what was best for him while I was away...and we weren't in a place to keep him from danger...but losing him has kept us in agony for six years."

Edward nodded. "I can't imagine what you both have been through, but I can assure you that your son is happy...a blessing from god."

Upon opening the door, Scully sighed with relief at the sight of her infant daughter, who immediately seemed to calm upon seeing her, however her arms were still outstretched, demanding to be held.

She gently scooped her baby into her arms. "Shh, sweetie, it's okay...everything is going to be okay," she said in an attempt to calm herself more than anything else.

Her baby reached out to clasp one of her long locks of hair in her tiny hands and cooed at her. She smiled tearfully into her beautiful, familiar hazel eyes. She gently kissed her baby's head as she held her close.

What did William's parents want from them? She wondered.

A moment later, she nearly jumped at the sound of the door opening and Mulder held up his palm in surrender. "It's okay, Scully."

"I'm sorry, Mulder...it's just this is too much for me."

Her reaches out and gingerly touched her cheek. "I know...but they just want answers...like we do, about William."

Scully could understand that...but she wasn't ready to accept that she wouldn't see her son again. That he wasn't going to come home with them.

"I'm glad...they seem to love and care for him as much as we do, I am just not ready to accept he will never come back to us...to know his sister."

They both glanced down at Vera. Mulder nodded towards the door, indicating for her to bring Vera with them. "It's going to be okay, Scully."

She nodded quickly, forcing the tears back as went back into the living room.

Marilyn smiled upon seeing Scully's daughter. "Oh, is this your daugher, William's sister?"

Scully nodded and smiled, "Yeah." She could see William's adoptive mom was eager to hold her and she gently placed the baby in her arms...sensing these were people she could trust.

The brunette and balding man looked adoringly at the baby that was cooing at them. "She's beautiful."

Skinner had walked back inside at that point and Mulder turned to Scully. "Scully, I know you don't like surprises, but I have something to show you."

She looked at him skeptically as she had done many years during their work. She looked over at the other couple and Edward nodded. Mulder touched Scully's shoulder and led her to the guest room.

Mulder moved in front to open the door for her and she nearly gasped at the sight of William. She looked back towards Mulder. "Mulder, what's going on?"

The next thing she knew, she was being held tightly by her son and she couldn't hold back the tears.

"I came back, mom. My other mom and dad agreed to let me stay with you sometimes to keep me safe."

Scully had a mixed look of relief and confusion on her face.

Mulder smiled. "His adoptive parents agreed to have an open adoption contract moving forward...seeing as having us in his life would be in his best interests."

Scully sighed with relief. She didn't dare hope this was possible, but it was happening...even if he wasn't here to live permanently...William was back in their lives for good. They were going to be a family again. As she felt Mulder's arms around them both, she never truly felt happier than she was now.

END

A/N: Sorry for the delay in finishing this. I also wanted to explore a way for William to be reunited with Mulder & Scully without having to kill off the adoption parents. Please R&R! please check out my new stories!


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